Online game system

ABSTRACT

An online game system is a system in which plurality of players conduct a game play by accessing through a network. The online game system includes a private area control part controlling a game stage of a private area which restricts a number of players sharing a same game space; and a public area control part controlling a game stage of a public area which allows the number of players sharing the same game space greater than the private area, wherein a game is begun from a first game stage of the public area, the first game stage is transited to a second game stage of the private area, the second game stage is transited to a third game stage of the public area after the second game stage of the private area is cleared, and these transitions are repeated more than once.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an online game system in which aplurality of players access and play a game by using their personalcomputers or likes through a network such as the Internet.

BACKGROUND ART

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a transition of stages in a conventionalonline game such as an online game “PHANTASY STAR ONLINE™” or a likepresented by the applicant of the present application. In FIG. 1, first,a player searches for a person such as an opponent, a cooperator, or alike to play a game together in a virtual space provided as a publicarea A1, and comes in a lobby which is an area to wait for the person.Then, at a counter in the virtual space, the player creates a game fieldin which the player performs a mission charged on the game, for example,a private area A2 which is a virtual room including a dungeon, and comesin this room after setting a team name, a difficulty level, and a like(step S1).

Other players, who are willing to take an adventure together with thisplayer, are allowed to attend to (burst into) the room. A plurality ofplayers coming into the same room make a party and fight with enemy gamecharacters by cooperating with each other. The room provided as theprivate area A2 includes a dungeon, and is a completed area. In general,the player plays without getting out from the room until the end of thegame. In a case of playing from the beginning of the game, the playergoes back to the lobby provided as the public area A1 (step S2). Theroom is deleted when all players get out from the room to the lobby.

On the other hand, Cross-Reference No. 1 discloses a technology whichmanages entering to and exiting from the vertical space on the game soas to smoothly enable the entering to the vertical space.

[Cross-Reference No. 1 of Related Application]

Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-190642

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

As described above, there are a public area (lobby) and a private area(dungeon) in the conventional online game. The public area is simply astarting point of an adventure (game). The conventional online game is aclosed game in which once an adventure has begun, only the party formedby the plurality of players is conducted.

Accordingly, the player spends much of his time for a game play in theprivate area. There are problems such that the player cannotsufficiently approve “sharing time and space (communication) with theplurality of players” which is a whole point of the online game.

In addition, due to a performance limitation of a system (a server, anetwork, and a like), the online games are broadly classified into anMMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) type which allows a large number ofplayers to play simultaneously but is a lower action nature, and an MO(Multiplayer Online) type which restricts to a small number of playersto simultaneously play but is a higher action nature.

The MMO type allows for a greater number of players sharing the samegame space more than the MO type, and the main part of a game process isconducted by a server. For example, the server conducts processesconcerning actions of characters (movements of the characters, attacksto other characters, usages of items, determinations of collisions withother objects in a virtual three-dimensional space, and the like). Aprocess result is sent to a terminal through the network. Thus, aresponse is degraded and the action nature becomes lower. In the MOtype, the main part of the game process is conducted by the terminal, soas to immediately display the process result. Thus, the response is wellperformed, and the action nature becomes higher.

Accordingly, there are features (drawbacks) respective to the publicarea and the private area in which it is required to apply the MMO typeto the public area in which the large number of players exist whilelowering the action nature and it is required to apply the MO type tothe private area which is a high action nature while suppressing thenumber of players. In the conventional online game described above, theplayers are required to “recognize these drawbacks as rules”.

The present invention is proposed in view of the above-describedproblems of the conventional online game system. It is a general objectof the present invention to provide an online game system which candirect such as depth and achievement as experienced as the adventure byaggressively mixing and utilizing the public area in an MMO space and aprivate area in an MO space in the online game.

In order to solve the above-described problems, according to the presentinvention, as claimed in claim 1, there is provided an online gamesystem in which a plurality of players conduct a game play by accessingthrough a network, including a private area control part controlling agame stage of a private area which restricts a number of players sharinga same game space; and a public area control part controlling a gamestage of a public area which allows the number of players sharing thesame game space greater than the private area, wherein a game is begunfrom a first game stage of the public area, the first game stage istransited to a second game stage of the private area, the second gamestage is transited to a third game stage of the public area after thesecond game stage of the private area is cleared, and these transitionsare repeated more than once.

Moreover, as claimed in claim 2, the online game system as claimed inclaim 1 may further include a private area generation part dynamicallygenerating control data of the private area control part.

Furthermore, as claimed in claim 3, in the online game system as claimedin claim 1 or 2, the public area control part may make a process transitto the game stage of the private area when a player comes into a gamestage entrance of the private area provided at the game stage of thepublic area, and the private area control part may make the processtransit to the game stage of the public area when the player enters agoal area provided at the game stage of the private area after the gamestage of the private area is cleared.

Moreover, as claimed in claim 4, in the online game system as claimed inany one of claims 1 through 3, when another player attempts to join to agame stage in which the player exists, the public area control part andthe private area control part may instruct a stage change to a client ofthe another player by sending data of a game program, send status dataindicating a status of a current game stage to the client of the anotherplayer after the stage change is completed, and after that, distributethe client of the another player game stage status data indicating thestatus of the game stage after the stage change.

Furthermore, as claimed in claim 5, there is provided an online gameserver which is accessed from terminals of a plurality of playersthrough a network, including: a private area control part controlling agame stage of a private area which restricts a number of players sharinga same game space; and a public area control part controlling a gamestage of a public area which allows the number of players sharing thesame game space greater than the private area, wherein a game is begunfrom a first game stage of the public area, the first game stage istransited to a second game stage of the private area, the second gamestage is transited to a third game stage of the public area after thesecond game stage of the private area is cleared, and these transitionsare repeated more than once.

Moreover, as claimed in claim 6, there is provided a server controlprogram of an online game system in which a plurality of players conducta game play by accessing through a network, including: a private areacontrol part controlling a game stage of a private area which restrictsa number of players sharing a same game space; and a public area controlpart controlling a game stage of a public area which allows the numberof players sharing the same game space greater than the private area,wherein a game is begun from a first game stage of the public area, thefirst game stage is transited to a second game stage of the privatearea, the second game stage is transited to a third game stage of thepublic area after the second game stage of the private area is cleared,and these transitions are repeated more than once.

Furthermore, as claimed in claim 7, there is provided a control methodof an online game system in which a plurality of players conduct a gameplay by accessing through a network, including the steps of: controllinga game stage of a private area which restricts a number of playerssharing a same game space; and controlling a game stage of a public areawhich allows the number of players sharing the same game space greaterthan the private area, wherein a game is begun from a first game stageof the public area, the first game stage is transited to a second gamestage of the private area, the second game stage is transited to a thirdgame stage of the public area after the second game stage of the privatearea is cleared, and these transitions are repeated more than once.

In the online game system according to the present invention, byaggressively mixing and utilizing two modes in which a limitation of thenumber of players is different: the public area by the MMO space and theprivate area by the MO space, a fully new communication field isgenerated in the game. In the communication field, it is possible toshare various feelings and information with another player, regardlessof my party and other parties. Thus, it is possible to direct a depthand achievement regarded as an adventure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a transition of a stage in a conventionalonline game.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the online gamesystem according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of a gameserver group.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a transition of a game stage.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process example of the transition of thegame stage.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an overview of a game play within the gamestage.

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing a process example of a creation ofthe dungeon and entering and exiting (bursts) of another player.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an entering and exitingprocess sequence.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 client-   2 network-   3 patch server-   4 front server group-   5 game server group-   51 public area control part-   52 private area generation part-   53 private area control part-   6 my room server-   7 database server-   8 billing server

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below.

In an online game system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention, the entire game space is formed by a game stage of a publicarea and a game stage of a private area.

The game stage of the public area is of an MMO type which allows a largenumber of player to simultaneously play together but has a lower actionnature, and the game stage of the private area is of an MO type whichrestricts to a small number of player to simultaneously play togetherbut has a higher action nature.

A play field is an example of the game stage of the private area such asa dungeon, and is an area to carry out a mission charged to a game.Also, a lobby is an example of the game stage of the public area and isan area to search for a person such as an opponent, a cooperator, or alike to play the game together and to wait for the person.

The game stage is one scene (constitutional unit) of the game and isrepresented by a “stage”, a “round”, a “scene”, or a like.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the onlinegame system according to the embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 2, the online game system includes a patch server 3 and a frontserver group 4 which are accessed from a client 1 such as a personalcomputer (PC) or a like through a network 2 such as an Internet or alike. The patch server 3 is accessed first from the client 1, andincludes a function which applies a latest patch (revised program) ontoa program of the client 1. Subsequently, the front server group 4accessed by the client 1 includes a function which encrypts acommunication to protect from an illegal access.

Moreover, at a later stage of the front server group 4, a game servergroup 5 for controlling a progress of the online game, a my room server6 for providing a my room which can be customized uniquely by eachplayer and can conduct communications such as an electronic mail, news,and a like, a database server 7 for managing account data and savingdata, and a billing server 8 for conducting a billing and anauthentication.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the gameserver group 5. The game server group 5 includes a public area controlpart 51 for controlling the game stage of the public area including thelobby due to the MMO type which allows the larger number of players tosimultaneously play together and is of the lower action nature, aprivate area control part 53 for controlling the game stage of theprivate area including the dungeon due to the MO type which restricts tothe small number of players to simultaneously play together and is ofthe higher action nature, and a private area generation part 52 fordynamically generating control data (quest data) of the private areacontrol part 53. In progress of the game, the game is started from thegame stage of the public area controlled by the public area control part51, transits from the game stage of the public area to the game stage ofthe private area, transits to the game stage of the public area aftercreating the game stage of the private area, and repeats these stepsmore than once.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a transition of the gamestage. The game is begun from a game stage L1 of the public area beingthe MMO type including the lobby, the adventure (including a battle withenemy game characters) is preformed by the small number of parties inthe game stage D1 of the private area which is the MO type including thedungeon, and the game stage D1 is transited to the game stage L2 of thepublic area which is the MMO type including the lobby after the game iscarried out. The game stage L2 of the public area is different from thegame stage L1 of the public area which is an initial stage. There areother parties who have cleared the game stage D1 of the private area, inthe game stage L2 of the public area.

In the game stage L2 of the public area, the player communicates withplayers other than his party and changes members of his party ifnecessary, and again starts the adventure with the party of the smallnumber of players in a game stage D2 of the private area which is the MOtype including the dungeon. The game stage D2 is further transited to agame stage L3 of another public area which is the MMO type including thelobby after the player clears the game. It should be noted that it isnot limited to a count of repeating the public area and the private areaas shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process example of the transition of thegame stage. In FIG. 5, the player enters the lobby of the public area(step S101), and registers to a party experiencing the adventuretogether (step S102). FIG. 6A shows an example of a display image in astate in that other players P2 through P4 agree to a player P1 being aleader and make up a party.

Returning to FIG. 5, the player selects a quest (task in the adventure)(steps S103 through S105). For example, when the player comes into anentrance of a dungeon by selecting a quest 1 (YES of step S106), thegame stage is transited to the private area. It should be noted that itis not required to create a room like a conventional method, and theplayer is smoothly let to enter a closed dungeon. FIG. 6B is an exampleof a display image of a state in that the players P1 through P3 comeinto an entrance G of the dungeon.

Returning to FIG. 5, when the player comes in the entrance of thedungeon, the quest data are downloaded (step S107), and the quest starts(step S108). Enemies (enemy game characters) appear in the dungeon (stepS109), and members of the party sharing the adventure fight bycooperating with each other. FIG. 6C shows an example of a display imageof a state in which the players P1 through P3 fight with enemies E1 andE2.

Returning to FIG. 5, when the enemies are eradicated (YES of step S110),a transmission machine appears (step S111). The transmission machine isa goal area set as a goal beforehand within the quest data. When theplayers enter the transmission machine (YES of step S112), the playerscome out to the lobby of the public area (step S113). FIG. 6D shows anexample of a display image of a state in that the players have come outto the lobby. It is assumed that the lobby is provided on a mountaintop.In this lobby, each player can communicate with players of other partieswho arrive reach at last in the same lobby as well as players of a partyof a proximate dungeon, by using a text chat, a voice chat, a videochat, or a like.

Returning to FIG. 5, the players in the party are changed in the lobbyif necessary (steps S114 and S115), and the players come into theentrance of a next dungeon (YES of step S116). When the players comeinto the entrance of the dungeon, the quest data are downloaded (stepS117), and a sequel of the quest starts (step S118). Enemies appear inthe dungeon (step S119). When the players of the party sharing theadventure fight with the enemies by cooperating with each other and theenemies are eradicated (YES of step S120), the transmission machineappears (step S121). The players enter the transmission machine (YES ofstep S122), and get out to the lobby of the public area (step S123). Thegame is terminated by logging out (YES of step S124). If the players donot log out, the players go back to select the quest again (step S103).

Next, FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing a process example of acreation of the dungeon and entering and exiting (bursts) of anotherplayer. In FIG. 7, when a client A of a player receives a questselection (step S201), this state is informed to a server (step S202),and the server generates the quest data (step S203). The server sends aquest header corresponding to the entrance of the dungeon to the clientA (step S204), and the client A explicitly displays the entrance of thedungeon (step S205). Then, when the client A detects that the playercomes into the entrance of the dungeon (step S206), this state isinformed to the server (step S207). After that, a conventional processsequence is proceeded (step S208).

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the entering and exitingprocess sequence. It is assumed that the player of the client A hasalready entered the dungeon and a player of a client B bursts (joins)into the dungeon. In FIG. 8, although packet data indicating a status ofthe game stage have been distributed (broadcasted) to the player of theclient A who has already entered the dungeon, the packet data have notyet been distributed to the player of the client B who attempts to newlyburst into the dungeon at this point.

With respect to the player of the client B who newly attempts to burstinto, the server successively sends a notice indicating an addition of aclient (AddClient) and of entering a room (EnterRoom) (step S209), sendsthe quest data (step S210), and sends a stage change instruction forchanging from a current game stage of the player at a side of burstinginto the game stage of the player at a side of being burst into (stepS211). During these processes, a game execution time is considered aszero at a side of the server.

The client B receives data and loads a stage (step S212), and informs anend of changing the stage to the server when ending loading the stage(step S213). The server receives the end of changing the stage andinforms a burst in of another player to the client A (step S214).

After that, the server sends a status to the client B (step S215), andsends a player generation packet (steps S216 and S217). In addition, theserver generates a player being an intruder with respect to the client A(step S218). Moreover, the server sends the player generation packets ofall players in the game stage to the client B steps S219 and S220), andinforms an end of the player generation packets when completing sendingthe player generation packets of all players (step S221). The client Bgenerates the players from the received packets, and informs the servera completion of the generation (step S222). Then, the burst iscompleted. After that, packet data indicating a status of the game stageis begun to distribute to the client B of the intruder in addition tothe client A who has already entered the dungeon (step S223).

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possibleto impress to the player a feeling of adventure such that the playerenters the dungeon being closed from the lobby being the public area andexits to the lobby being opened again from the dungeon. Accordingly, itis possible to direct a feeling of “proceeding all together” for playersof other parties, who encounter at each lobby, as well as other playersin the same party, and it is possible to share feelings ofaccomplishment and achievement due to clearing a last dungeon. Moreover,it is possible to exchange information such as an impression, a conquermethod, and a like concerning the last and future adventures at eachlobby at halfway of the adventure. Furthermore, since the playersconduct an exchange of items acquired or a like, it is possible toincrease interest factors.

In the above-described embodiment, the network is not limited to a wirednetwork and may be a wireless network. In addition, a terminal of theplayer may be a PC, a game console, an arcade game machine, a PDA(Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone, and a like.

Moreover, the private area is not limited to the dungeon (subjectstructuring a labyrinth), and may be a virtual forest, plain, wild land,or like, or a virtual area in the game which intends to hunt fortreasure or play a charade such that the enemy game characters do notappear.

The present invention is described above in terms of preferredembodiments. Although the present invention is described above withreference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent that changes andmodifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as set forth in the appended claims. The presentinvention is not limited to the description of the specific embodimentsand the attached drawings.

1. An online game system in which a plurality of players conduct a gameplay by accessing through a network, comprising: a private area controlpart controlling a game stage of a private area which restricts a numberof players sharing a same game space; and a public area control partcontrolling a game stage of a public area which allows the number ofplayers sharing the same game space greater than the private area,wherein a game is begun from a first game stage of the public area, thefirst game stage is transited to a second game stage of the privatearea, the second game stage is transited to a third game stage of thepublic area after the second game stage of the private area is cleared,and these transitions are repeated more than once.
 2. The online gamesystem as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a private areageneration part dynamically generating control data of the private areacontrol part.
 3. The online game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:the public area control part makes a process transit to the game stageof the private area when a player comes into a game stage entrance ofthe private area provided at the game stage of the public area; and theprivate area control part makes the process transit to the game stage ofthe public area when the player enters a goal area provided at the gamestage of the private area after the game stage of the private area iscleared.
 4. The online game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein whenanother player attempts to join to a game stage in which the playerexists, the public area control part and the private area control partinstruct a stage change to a client of the another player by sendingdata of a game program, sends status data indicating a status of acurrent game stage to the client of the another player after the stagechange is completed, and after that, distributes the client of theanother player game stage status data indicating the status of the gamestage after the stage change.
 5. An online game server which is accessedfrom terminals of a plurality of players through a network, comprising:a private area control part controlling a game stage of a private areawhich restricts a number of players sharing a same game space; and apublic area control part controlling a game stage of a public area whichallows the number of players sharing the same game space greater thanthe private area, wherein a game is begun from a first game stage of thepublic area, the first game stage is transited to a second game stage ofthe private area, the second game stage is transited to a third gamestage of the public area after the second game stage of the private areais cleared, and these transitions are repeated more than once.
 6. Acomputer-readable recording medium storing server control program of anonline game system in which a plurality of players conduct a game playby accessing through a network, the server control program causing theonline game system to function as: a private area control partcontrolling a game stage of a private area which restricts a number ofplayers sharing a same game space; and a public area control partcontrolling a game stage of a public area which allows the number ofplayers sharing the same game space greater than the private area,wherein a game is begun from a first game stage of the public area, thefirst game stage is transited to a second game stage of the privatearea, the second game stage is transited to a third game stage of thepublic area after the second game stage of the private area is cleared,and these transitions are repeated more than once.
 7. A control methodof an online game system in which a plurality of players conduct a gameplay by accessing through a network, comprising the steps of:controlling a game stage of a private area which restricts a number ofplayers sharing a same game space; and controlling a game stage of apublic area which allows the number of players sharing the same gamespace greater than the private area, wherein a game is begun from afirst game stage of the public area, the first game stage is transitedto a second game stage of the private area, the second game stage istransited to a third game stage of the public area after the second gamestage of the private area is cleared, and these transitions are repeatedmore than once.